Rachel's Table of Western Massachusetts

Rescue- six days per week, drivers from our cadre of volunteers collect food from local supermarkets, restaurants, farms, caterers, and bakeries, and deliver to more than 65 local organizations, including food pantries, community meal programs, after school centers, shelters, and more. These organizations are across hampden, hampshire, and franklin counties of Western ma. In 2023, our refrigerated van and volunteer cars delivered over 701,000 pounds of food from 80+ food donors- a 95% increase from 2022. Most of the increase is due to our refridgerated van. We continually add more routes to our rescue operations, and we are beginning to review the need for another refrigerated vehicle. Our 2024 goal: sustain our increased operations to meet the need while ensuring equitability in distribution.

Glean- gleaning is the practice of collecting grain or produce after harvest. 2023 saw a dramatic increase in our gleaning program- 44 gleans (up from 12 in 2022), 100+ new gleaning volunteers, and 71% more produce harvested and distributed- due to greater focus on open community gleans, new logistical solutions, and wider distribution networks. Approximately 25% of gleaners in 2023 reported that gleaning directly helped them to feed their households. Deepening relationships with farmers revealed opportunites for future collaboration. Our 2024 goal- sustain our gleaning operations, explore ways to support local farmers, and donate even more produce to partner agencies and people in need.

Purchase- rtwm sponsors several programs to cater even further to specific requests by partner agencies. Fresh fruit for children during the winter months, shelf-stable milk for families and children, and turkeys for thanksgiving are examples of how we support our community's needs desires. This year, our purchase program delivered 33,500 pounds of requested food to partner agencies. Our 2024 goal: continue to respond to cultural and desired needs of the clients our partner agencies serve.

Grow - by spring of 2024, rtwm, in partnership with northeast organic farming association ma chapter, will have enhanced or initiated 11 gardens in which people most directly affected by food insecurity will have had an integral part in planning, planting, and harvesting. These gardens provide direct access to healthy food, including in food deserts where lack of accessible transportation makes going to grocery stores challenging. Community-led trainings, cookbooks designed by children (95 children are a part of 5 of the gardens), cook-offs for local communities, socialization and raised garden beds for seniors who use wheelchairs, part-time jobs for teenagers, and shared recipes that include tastes of home are just some of the outcomes of this program. Our 2024 goal: continue to add 3 new gardens per year to this 3-year program to foster self-determined food sources and community-led solutions to food security.

Teen board - our youth leadership program includes a board with officers and members who educate themselves and others about food insecurity, serve our local community in many projects such as packing weekend backpacks of food or cooking for families with children in critical care, and advocate for change by writing letters or learning about local legislation. Our 2024 goal: grow this program to collaborate with other youth leaders in our region.